Gladiolus salteri G.J.Lewis

Plants 100-200 mm high. Corm globose-conic, 18-25 mm diam. or more, bearing a few cormlets around base; tunics coarsely fibrous, sometimes accumulating. Stem inclined, flexed above sheath of uppermost leaf, simple or with one or two branches. Leaves usually 4, lower 3 basal, falcate, all arching to one side, generally as long as spike, 4-7 mm wide, grey-green, uppermost leaf inserted in middle of stem. Spike inclined to nearly horizontal, flexuose, 5-to 8-flowered; bracts pale grey-green, dry and brown above, outer 15-20 mm long, inner slightly shorter. Flowers pale pink, lower tepals cream-coloured with deep pink markings in midline and toward apices, papillose on claws and lower throat, lightly rose-scented during day; perianth tube 18-22 mm long, narrowly and obliquely funnel-shaped, normally exserted from bracts, wider portion 3-4 mm long; tepals narrowed into claws below, dorsal longest, initially arcuate, erect distally with age, claw 28-32 mm long, slender, ± 8 mm at widest, upper laterals 20-22 mm long, claws ± 7 mm long, directed forward, limbs abruptly expanded, curving outward, lower tepals strongly clawed, united basally for 4-5 mm, channelled, free for ± 15 mm, limbs curving downward. Filaments ± 25 mm long, papillose toward bases, exserted 18-20 mm from upper part of tube; anthers ± 6 mm long, cream-coloured; pollen pale yellow. Style arching over stamens, dividing opposite lower 1/2 of anthers, branches ± 4 mm long. Capsules broadly ovoid, trilobed-retuse above, 9-11 x 10 mm. Seeds 4-5 x 3.5-4.0 mm, broadly winged with seed body asymmetrically placed.